Artwork Appreciation
HSU Ru-Fei’s The Time in Between Episode I, II, III is based on a series of interviews, narratives, and videos to create emotional links between the artist and her family members. The work presents the landscape of family-based contracting and the sewing industry of Taiwan. The three-piece video targets her grandmother, mother, and the artist herself. All videos start from hands operating a sewing machine before transferring to memories and experiences in the tailoring industry as narrated by the interviewee. The dark background accentuates the patterns and colors on the fabrics, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the life history of the interviewees. HSU Ru-Fei uses a seemingly common scene of the sewing industry to create a work linked to family memories and to the history of subcontracting and female labor in Taiwan.